Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on a Transatlantic Vision for the 21st Century

The United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany are
linked by a deep friendship. Our meeting today opens a new
chapter in our close relationship. At the beginning of the
21st century, we reaffirm our common commitment to the lasting
principles which are at the basis of the Transatlantic community of
values -? freedom, democracy and human rights. On this basis, we are
resolved to strengthen and further develop the partnership between the
United States of America and Europe. In the age of
globalization we want to give it a new quality.

We agree that our cooperation within the Atlantic Alliance continues to
be of decisive importance for the security and stability of the
Euro-Atlantic region and that this includes an adequate military
presence of the United States in Europe. The Atlantic
Alliance has adapted itself to the historic changes in Europe after the
end of the Cold War and today also plays an important role in promoting
stability in the states of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern
Europe. The openness of the Alliance for new members and its
offer of a comprehensive partnership to the new democracies on the
European continent contribute to peace and security in all of
Europe. They are directed against no one.

We share the view that Russia can make an important contribution to
maintaining peace and stability in Europe and the world. We
encourage the Russian government to further pursue a policy of
democratic reforms and offer our cooperation to this end.

We will be partners for the states in Southeastern Europe on their way
into a peaceful future. War, aggressive nationalism and
extremist acts of violence must belong to the past. We will
lend our support to the process of stabilization and democratization in
the Balkans, continuing to act in close consultation and
jointly. In these efforts, the Stability Pact will continue
to play a central role.

Both our countries have long-standing commitments to the territorial
integrity of Macedonia. We strongly condemn the violence
perpetrated by a small group of extremists trying to destabilize that
country's democratic, multi-ethnic government. Their violent
methods are hurting the long-term interests of ethnic Albanians in
Macedonia, Kosovo, and throughout the region. We strongly
support President Trajkovski and the Macedonia government in taking
proportionate steps to prevent further violence and urge that they work
closely with elected representatives of the Macedonian Albanian
community to address legitimate minority concerns. We
welcome steps being taken by NATO, the European Union, and the OSCE to
help Macedonia contain the insurgents as well as to facilitate a
political solution.

We are convinced that the uniting Europe will enrich Transatlantic
relations. From the beginning, the United States of America
has offered its support to European unifi-cation, for a Europe that is
strong and capable lies in the interest of the United States just as
much as Europe needs a strong American partner. Therefore we
view the development of a European Security and Defense Policy as an
important contribution to sharing the burden of securing peace which
will strengthen the Atlantic Alliance.

The United States and Germany welcome the efforts of the European Union
to assume greater responsibility for crisis management by strengthening
capabilities and developing the ability to take actions where NATO as a
whole chooses not to engage. In this regard, the United
States welcomes the European Union's European Security and Defense
Policy (ESDP), aiming at making Europe a stronger, more capable partner
in deterring and managing crises affecting the security of the
Transatlantic community. This involves:

Developing EU capabilities in a manner that is
fully coordinated, compatible, and transparent with NATO;

The fullest possible participation by non-EU
European NATO members in the operational planning and execution of
EU-led exercises and operations, reflecting their shared interests and
security commitments as NATO members;

Working with other EU members to improve
Europe's capabilities and enables the EU to act where NATO as a whole
is not engaged.

Together we are resolved to undertake new efforts in countering the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and increasingly
sophisticated missiles for their delivery. We agree on the
need for substantive bilateral consultations, as well as close
consultations with other allies and interested parties. We
will work together toward a post-Cold War strategy that increases our
common security and that encompasses the appropriate mix of offensive
and defensive systems, and that continues nuclear arms reductions and
strengthens WMD and missile proliferation controls as well as
counter-proliferation measures.

We are resolved to increase our efforts to abolish barriers impeding
trade between the European Union and the United States of
America. In areas where we have differences of opinion we
will strive to bring our positions closer together.

In the framework of G-7/8 we will contribute to helping the poorest
countries in drawing more benefit from technological development, in
particular in the field of information technology. Together
we will also increase our efforts towards bringing about a stable
global finance system. This will also be of help in overcoming hunger,
poverty, and disease in large parts of the world that represent a
challenge to all of us.

We share a common concern about global climate change. We
openly note that we differ on the best way to protect the earth's
climate. The Federal Republic of Germany, host of the
Climate Change Conference in Bonn in July, emphasizes that the targets
to reduce greenhouse gases agreed in Kyoto are indispensable to combat
global climate change effectively. The United States opposes
the Kyoto Protocol because it exempts many countries from compliance
and would cause serious harm to the American economy. Both
sides, however, are prepared to work constructively with friends and
allies to solve the problem. In this context they deem it
necessary to develop, among other means, technologies, market-based
incentives, and other innovative approaches to meeting the challenge of
global climate change.

We attach particular importance to the fight against HIV/AIDS. We want
the G-7/8 to intensify their efforts to ease the suffering of millions
of people who are inflicted by this disease. We consider it
to be of particular importance for the pharmaceutical industry to take
additional measures so that HIV/AIDS patients in affected developing
countries can be supplied with medication at affordable prices.

We welcome the agreements on the establishment of the
German Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility, and the
Future for compensation payments to former forced
laborers. We note with great satisfaction that the German
companies now have made available their total share in the
Foundation. We call for a swift implementation of the
agreements on all-embracing and enduring legal peace so that payments
to the aged former forced laborers can begin as soon as possible.

German-American friendship constitutes a pillar of Transatlantic
relations. It must continue to be based on broad popular support in
the new century. To this end, we will, on both sides of the Atlantic,
encourage even more contacts among members of the younger generation.